Iron holder for ironing boards



March 12, 1940- H. A. BERKMAN 2,193,414

I IRON HOLDER FOR IRONING BOARDS I Filed June 6, 1938' 79 ,AZ A

x I I Patented Mar. 12, 1940 IRON HOLDER FOR IRONING BOARDS Herbert A. Berkman, Chicago, 111., assignor to Zim Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Illinois Application June 6, 1938, Serial No. 211,975

2 Claims.

The present invention has for its object to produce a simple, rugged device adapted to be permanently connected to an ironing board in such a manner as not to interfere with the folding 5 of a pad or cover over the edge and underneath the board; permit an iron to be moved, without raising it, upon said device when the latter is in its working position; and permit the device to lie flat against the top of the ironing board at times when the board is not in use.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one end of an ironing board having one of my improved devices attached thereto, the device being shown in its working position; Fig. 2 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the iron rest being shown in full lines in its working position and in dotted lines in its idle position; and Fig. 3 is an end view showing fragments of the ironing board and iron rest.

Referring to the drawing, l represents an ironing board of any desired size and shape. 2 is a flat, approximately rectangular metal member large enough to permit a sad iron to rest thereon without projecting beyond the edges of the same. The member 2 is preferably pressed from sheet steel; the main portion remaining in the original plane of the sheet, but having a group of raised rib-like portions 3 which provide the actual joints of contact between the bottom of ,the iron and the rest or support. Along three edges of this body member is a low, upwardly projecting flange 4, while along the fourth edge is a downwardly extending flange 5.

The member 2 is fastened to the ironing board by special hinges which permit it to stand as shown in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 2, with the edge having the depending flange 5 parallel with and spaced a substantial distance apart from an edge, preferably an end edge, of the ironing board, or be swung up on top of the board, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 2. The gap between the iron rest and the board permits any usual or suitable ironing board cover to be applied over the edge of the board, without interference therewith on the part of the iron rest attachment; and it also insures that if an electrical iron is set on the rest and left there, with the current flowing, there is no danger of setting the ironing board on fire.

The iron rest is preferably supported by two hinges, one at each end of the edge having the downturned flange 5. Each of these hinges comprises two leaves both of which may be said to be L-shaped. The stationary hinge leaf of each hinge has one arm 6 arranged horizontally un derneath the ironing board and its other arm 1 arranged in an upright position at some distance removed from the adjacent edge of the board. The arm 6 is also spaced apart from the bottom face of the board a substantial amount for a considerable distance inwardly from said edge of the board; this being accomplished by widening the arm 6. in the upward direction, toward its free end, as indicated at 8, and providing the extenslon 8 with a laterally projecting flange 9 for engagement with the board. The flange 9 lies flat against the board and may be fastened thereto by means of. screws ID or the like, so that, when once fastened to the board, the hinge leaf becomes a. permanent part of the latter.

It will thus be seen that there is a clear space between what may be called the vertical arms of the stationary hinge leaves and the edge face of the board, as well as between a substantial length of each of the arms 6 and the under side of the board; whereby a cover for the'board may be carried down over said edge and underneath the board without being obstructed by the hinge leaves.

The other leaf of each hinge has an arm ll underlying the tray-like iron rest and provided with a flange I! that may be permanently fas- V tened to the rest, conveniently by spot-welding. Rising from one end of the arm II is a second arm l3 which lies beside the arm "I of the companion stationary hinge leaf. Each arm I3 and the cooperating arm 1 are connected together for relative swinging movements, conveniently by means of pintles H in the form of rivets.

The hinges permit the iron rest to be swung up on top of the board, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. In order to prevent the rest from swinging too far in the opposite direction, however, I provide each of the arms II with a lug l5 which is adapted to strike against the outer vertical edge of the corresponding arm I when the traylike rest lies outwardly beyond the ironing board and in substantial parallelism with the latter.

, The parts are so proportioned that when the iron rest is swung outwardly into its working position, it lies approximately flush with the surface on which the ironing is done, preferably somewhat above the plane of the top of the naked board to compensate for the thickness of the usual padding or cover. Consequently, when the iron is to be left standing, it is simply slid along the top of the ironing board and onto the rest and does not require to be lifted or turned on end.

when the iron rest is swung into its idle position, overlying the board, the hinges form a pair of spaced projections on the edge of the board to which the rest is attached. Therefore, if the rest is placed at one end of the board, as shown, the hinges will serve as a pair of feet on which the board may rest when stood on end.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

l. The combination with an ironing board, of a pair of L-shaped hinge leaves each having one arm underlying the board and the other arm rising upwardly past an'edge of the board, the arms that underlie the board being spaced apart from the bottom of the board for a substantial distance inwardly from said edge and the upright arcane arms being spaced apart from said edge, a rest device for a sad iron hingedly connected to the upper ends of the upright arms of the hinge leaves so as to permit the rest to be swung from a position overlying the board to a position in which it lies beyond the end of the board, and shoulders on the rest device for engagement with the said upright arms and adapted to hold the rest device substantially parallel to the board when the same is lying outwardly from the board. 2. The combination with an ironing board, of a pair of L-shaped hinge leaves each having one arm underlying the board and the otherarm rising upwardly past and spaced apart from an edge of the board, the arms that underlie the board being spaced apart from the bottom of the board for a substantial distance inwardly from said edge, a rest for a sad iron, hinge leaves fastened to said rest and hingedly connected to the upper ends of the upright arms of the hinge leaves secured to the board so as to permit the rest to be swung from a position overlying the board to a position in which it lies beyond the end of the board and approximately flush with the top of the latter, and inter-engaging abutment means on the respective hinge leaves to hold the rest level when the same is lying outwardly from the board.

HERBERT A. BERKMAN. 

